Metal mine tie



Aug. 19, 1924.- 1,505,807

J. J. ROSS METAL MINE TIE Filed Marc 19 1924 attua/WW Patented Aug. 19, i924.

UNITED STATES JUSTUS J. ROSS, Ol? HUNTNGTON, "WEST VIRGINIA.

METAL MINE TIE.

Application filed. March 19, 1924. Serial No. 700,352.

To NZZ who/m. it may concern:

Be it known that l, lUsTUs J. Ross, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huntington, in the county of Cabell and State of Test Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Mine Ties, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

rthis invention relates to metal ties particularly adapted for use in mines. and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a tie which is inexpensive in manufacture and yet which is sufficiently strong to stand the severe uses to which it is subjected.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive tie of this character which will securely clamp rails of various sizes without changing the gauge of the railway.

In detail. the invention relates more particularly to a novel form of clamping lug,

by the use of which the gauge always remains substantially the same even. though the sizes of rails employed differ greatly.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings; in which- Figure l is an elevational view of the tie, parts being in section, and showing a section of ay large rail clamped in position, and also Showing a small rail in outline.

Figure 2 is a detail perspective view ofv the tie anchoring means.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary eleva-tional view of the tie, showing an inverted rail in place as employed for extending the track in the working places of the mine.

Figure 4 is a Vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a. plan view of a track as extended for use in the working places of a mine; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of the tie, showing a small rail clamped in position.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, numeral l indicates the body of the tie, which has a flat surface and downturned flanges 2 on each side; that is, the tie in cross-section has the shape of channel iron. These downturned flanges strengthen the tie and also function as an anchoring means to prevent lateral movement of the tie.

Each end of the tie is bent upwardly and inwardly, to form hook shaped ends, asv indicated by numeral 3; and wooden wedges 4 are inserted between the hooked ends and the rails to force the latter into place.

Attached to the tie, preferably directly below each of the rails, is additional anchoring means, as indicated by numeral 5. The anchoring means 5 is for the purpose of preventing longitudinal movement of the tie, and it consists of a short metal section having a flat surface coinciding with the bott-om of the tie, and downturned flanges extending preferably below the bottom edges of the flanges 2. ln other words, the anchoring means has the shape of channel iron; and it is of such length that it just fits between the downturned flanges 2 of the tie. By this construction the anchoring means is easily and securely held in place, for it is obvious that any rotation of the anchoring means would be impossible, even if only one attaching rivet should be employed.

I will now describe the novel clamping lug which is one of the material features of this invention, reference being had particularly to Figures l and 6.

In Figure l, l have shown in section relatively large rails clamped in position,

`and in dotted outline is shown a small rail clamped in position. Rails are composed of three parts, the head, the web, and the flange, and these parts are indicated by the numerals 6, 7, and 8, respectively, for the large rails; and by numerals 6, 7', and 8` respectively, for the small rails.

Numeral 9 indicates the clamping lug which Ahas a flat portion l0 coinciding with the flat surface of the tie, and an upwardly inclined portion ll for engaging the flange of the rail or the web of the rail as the case may be, depending on the size of the rail employed. rlhe clamping lug is provided with strengthening side flanges 12, and the lug is preferably secured to the tie by meansof rivets. The peculiar design of this clamping lug and its novel manner of functioning to secure. rails of various sizes without varying the gauge, will now be described.

The clamping lug 9 is so designed that when it is employed with the largest rails commonly used in mine work, it will follow the contour of the rail flange or base 8, and thus exactly fix the position of the ure 1.

largest rails, as clearly illustrated in Fig- It will be noted, however, that the lug does not extend up to the web of the rail when the larger rail is employed. If the inclined portion of the clamping lug extended up to the web when large Yrails were employed, then it would be obvious that when smaller rails were employed the inclined portion would also strike the web andhold both the small and large rails in the same position, thus altering the gauge of the track. On the other hand, if the inclined portion was so designed that it was much shorter than illustrated herein, then when a small rail was used, its flange would be forced under the lug until it contacted with the inclined portion at the point where the lug meets the surface of the tie,'and consequently there would be considerable variation in the gauge. As clearly illustrated in Figures l and 6, however, the clamping lug is not so designed, and by an inspection of those figures it will be seen that when a small rail is employed the web 7 abuts against the free end of the inclined member, and when a large rail is employed the web does not .contact with the inclined member at all, but the fiange of the larger rail contacts with the inclined member at the .point Where the lug meets the surface of the tie. By this construction the vertical center line of the rail is moved only slightly for different size rails, and this difference in position just about compensates for the difference in width of the heads of different size rails, so that the gauge remains almost exactly the same. I have described the lug' in connection with large rails and small rails, and it will be understood that rails of intermediate size will assume intermediate positions.

It is believed that the construction of the i tie, its operation, and the numerous advantages t-hereof will be apparent from the foregoing description.

The tie disclosed herein may be readily employed in connection with extension tracks into the working places of mines; and this will be briefly referred to, reference being had to Figures 3, 4, and 5.

For various reasons it is highly desirable that the tracks may at all times be run into the working places just as far as possible;

; and, of course, this is not possible if the laying of additional track must wait until there is suiicient space for the laying of full length rails. In the present arrangement, to extend the track any desired length, it is only necessary to invert the extension rails and place them in position as indicated in Figure 3. When so arranged, the inverted rails may be extended as desired, and the extension may be accomplished with the greatest ease. Adjacent the working face the tie may also be inverted, as illustrated in Figure 5.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described what I now believe to be the best embodiment of the invention, but I do not wish to be understood thereby as limiting myself or the scope of the invention, as many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention; all such I aim to include in the scope of the appended claims.

I-Iaving fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: A Y

l. A cross tie and rail clamping lugs mounted thereon, said lugs being fiXedly secured to the tie, and said lugs adapted to clamp rails of various sizes without substantially altering the gauge of the track.

2. A metal cross tie and rail clamping lugs mounted thereon, said lugs being fixedly secured to' the tie, and'said lugs adapted to maintain the tracks at substantially means attached to said tie substantially be-4 neath the rails, hooked ends formed onsaid tie, rail clamping lugs on the tie, wooden wedge members adapted to beinserted between the rails and the hooked ends vof the tie, said lugs having two rail engaging faces,` one of said faces adapted to. engage the flange only of large rails, and the other of said faces adapted to engage the web only` of small rails.

JUsrUs. J. Ross. 

